Governor.



L. 0. LOEWENSTEIN.

GOVERNOR.

APPLIUATION FILED mm: 29, 1910.

1,017,571. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

Witnesses: Inventor;

W7 Louis C.L eiensbein,

Abby.

- useful Improvements in G1: vernors,

the following 1s a SPQClfiCtttlJ-Il.

UNITED STATES I Parana. orsion LOUIS C. LOEWENS'I'EIN, OF'LYNN,MASSACHUSETTS, AS SIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

eovnmroa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb. 13,1912

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that 'I, LOUIS C. LoEwnN- STEIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and of which This invention relates to mechanismfor governing the speed of prime movers such as elastic fluid turbines,steam engines, etc.,

and its object is to simplify the construction and produce a reliableand-durable device of this character, requiring but a mmimum of energyto operate it. l

The invention comprises in brief, a plurality of resilient membersstanding normally at an oblique angle to a shaft of the prime mover andadapted: to be rotated therewith so that under the influence ofcentrifugal force said members w1ll tend to approach a plane ofrevolution and in so doing will actuate a device for controll ng thesupply of motive energy to the prime mover or motor.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in Wh1Ch- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a horizontalturbine equipped with my improved governor, and Fig.2 is an endelevation of the resilient centrifugally responsive members, shown on asmaller scale than that of Fig. 1. Y i.

The invention is applicable to a variety of prime movers, but I haveillustrated a horizontal turbine having a single bucket wheel 1 securedto a shaft 2 which is mounted in suitable bearings. The bucket wheel islocated in a casing 3. Steam-"or other elastic fluid is delivered to thebuckets 4 by suitable nozzles 5, or other devices, within the casing,the exhaust steam passing off through the port 6.

The end of the shaft projects beyond the hub 7 of the wheel and is screwthreaded to receive a nut 8, which clamps to the face of said hub aplurality of flat resilient members 9, preferably strips of spring steelor phosphor bronze. The ends of these springs are lapped over each otheracross the face of the hub under the nut 8, being drilled for thepassage of the end portion of the shaft. The springs radiate from theshaft at an oblique angle thereto, preferably about 45 degrees, andtheir free ends are bent back on an easy curve to join a reentrantangle,

terminating adjacent to'the end of the shaft,

where they are overlapped and secured to a beaded button 10. Each springthus consti tutes a U-shaped member radiating at an angle from theshaft, with one leg fastened to said shaft and the other attached to thecorresponding legof the opposite member. Under the action of centrifugalforce each- U-shaped member tends to swing out to a position at rightangles to the shaft, and in.

so doing the free ends, attached to the button 10 will move away fromthe end of the shaft in an axial direction. The governor may be mountedon a shaft driven from the main shaft 2 instead of on said main shaft,

as illustrated. I utilize said movement to actuate a throttle valvewhich controls the flow of steam from the inlet 11 to the passage 12leadin tothenozzles or other devices 5. The valve 1s preferably aspindle13 bearhaving a sliding fit in a bored valve body 14 mounted in asuitable casing 15.cast with the casing 3 of the turbine. The seatformed for the body 14in the casing 15 is preferably tapered, so thatsaid body can be forced in to make a steam-tight joint; preferably bymeans of a sleeve 16 screw-threaded into the casing 15 and bearingagainst the end of the body 14. The sleeve is provided with alock-nut17, and as a further precaution against its becoming loosened, a sheetmetal washer 18 is slipped over it under the locknut, having a tonguewhich engages with a groove 19 in the sleeve and provided also withfingers 20 which are bent over the outside of the casing 15 intodepression 21;

For a certain portion of its length the spindle is reduced in diameterat 22, and at this point inthe body 14 there are ports 23, 24 leadingfrom the inlet 11 to the bore of the body and from said bore to thepassage 12. Under normal running conditions, the reduced portion of thespindle just bridges the space between these ports, so that there is afree fiow of steam to the turbine. The spindle is held yieldingly inthis position and against the button 10, by means of a spring 25abutting at one end against a collar 26 'on the spindle and at the otherend against the inner side of a cupped nut 27 which screws into theouter end of the sleeve 16, and is provided with a lock-nut 28. Thespindle projects through this nut and is proing at its inner end againstthe button and a vided with a handle 29 for manualopera-.

and more until, if the speed becomes execs sive, the valve willcompletely shut off the steam. *Ihe device thus constitutes a sensitive'and yet simple speed governor, not liable to get out of order andexposed to very little wear, which can occur only at the 15 thenon-rotating spindle, and between the point of contact of the rotatablebutton and spindle and ,the bore of the body 14.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the prin': ciple of operation of my invention, together withthe apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodimentthereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown isillustrative only and that the invention canbe carried out byothermeans. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is 1. The combination with a prime mover, ofresilient members secured to ashaft thereof at an oblique angle theretowith their free ends forming a reentrant angle and terminating adjacentto the axis of the shaft, and a throttle valve movable axially in linewith said shaft and bearing against the free ends of said members.

2. The combination with a prime mover, of resilient members secured atone end to a shaft thereof and extending therefrom at an oblique anglewith their free ends forming a rentrant angle, an axially arrangedbutton to which said free ends are secured, and a spindle bearingagainst said button in line with said shaft and adapted to control thesupply of motive energy to said prime mover. 4

3. The combination with a, prime mover, of springs having overlappedends secured to the end of a shaft thereof, the free ends of saidsprings extending outwardly from said shaft at an oblique angle and bentback to form' a -reentrant angle, an axially arranged button secured tothe free overlapping ends of said springs, a valve body havof U-shapedcentrifugally-responsive members having one leg sec ired to a shaft ofsaid prime mover with their other legs forming a rentrant angleapproaching the end of said shaft and terminating adjacent to its axis,a throttle valve adapted to be directly actuated by said members, andresilient means for retaining said valve yieldingly in a normalposition.

5. The combination with a motor, of a resilient,centrifugally-responsive member mounted on the end of a shaft driven bythe motor, said'member having a portion inclined outwardly from theaxisof the shaft which is moved outwardly by centrifugal force and a secondportion extendingfrom the end of the first portion and bent inwardly toterminate adjacent the end of the shaft said second portion being movedaxially by the first portion, and a device for regulating the supply ofmotive energy to the motor which is controlled by said second portion.

6. The combination with aprime mover,

of a governing mechanism therefor comprising a rotatable shaft, a valvefor controlling the supply of motive fluid to the prime mover havingmeans for manually operating it, a spring that tends to move the valvetoward its closed position, fiat spring members secured at one end to anend of the shaft and projecting outwardly from the end of the shaft atan angle to the axis of rotation, then being bent backward to bring theother end to the axis of the shaft adjacent the first end, and a buttoncarried by said second ends that is in engagement with the valve stem,said members being actuated solely by the action of the centrifugalforce of their own mass to move outwardly and operate the valve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of June,1910,

LOUIS C. LOEWENSTEIN. .Witnesses:

J OHN A. MGMANUS, J r., FRANK G. HATTIE.

